93 



is 12,644 to 11,532. Adding the third of these numbers 

 to the first, and the fourth to the second, we have, 



296,852 free inhabitants. 



270,762 slaves. 



567,614 inhabitants of every age, sex, and condition. 

 But 296,852, the number of free inhabitants, are to 

 270,762, the number of slaves, nearly as 11 to 10. Un- 

 der the mild treatment our slaves experience, and their 

 wholesome, though coarse food, this blot in our coun- 

 try increases as fast, or faster, than the whites. Dur- 

 ing the regal government, we had at one time obtained 

 a law, which imposed such a duty on the importation 

 of slaves, as amounted nearly to a prohibition, when 

 one inconsiderate assembly, placed under a peculiarity 

 of circumstance repealed the law. This repeal met a 

 joyful sanction from the then sovereign, and no devi- 

 ces, no expedients, which could ever after be attempted 

 by subsequent assemblies, and they seldom met with- 

 out attempting them, could succeed in getting the royal 

 assent to a renewal of the duty. In the very first ses- 

 sion held under the republican government, the assem- 

 bly passed a law for the perpetual prohibition of the 

 importation of slaves. This will in some measure stop 

 the increase of this great political and moral evil, while 

 the minds of our citizens may be ripening for a com- 

 plete emancipation of human nature. 



QUERY IX. 



The number and condition of the militia and regular 

 troops, and their pay ? 



The following is a state of the militia, taken from re- 

 turns of 1780 and 1781, except in those counties mark- 

 ed with an asterisk, the returns from which are some- 

 what older. 



Every able bodied freeman, between the ages of 16 

 end 50 is enrolled in the militia. Those of every coun- 



